FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News Media contact:
June 2, 1999 David Fiske: (202) 418-0500
FCC LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE PRO-COMPETITIVE
REGULATORY POLICIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The FCC has begun a new technical assistance initiative to assist developing countries
in building independent regulatory regimes that will promote competition, liberalization and
privatization, FCC Chairman William E. Kennard said today.
In a speech to the AFCOM '99 conference in Arlington, Va., Kennard said, "Fair,
open and transparent regulatory processes are essential to U.S. companies doing business
abroad. This Initiative is designed to promote pro-competitive regulatory policies so that
consumers around the world can reap the full benefits of the telecommunications revolution.
U.S. consumers will benefit because telecommunications competition and regulatory parity
abroad results in lower domestic and international telecommunications back home."
Kennard said the FCC would develop specific work plans with individual developing
countries to provide ongoing technical and regulatory assistance. He stated that the Initiative
would expand and formalize the technical assistance that the FCC has been providing as part of
its efforts to promote implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Basic
Telecommunications Services.
Building on the FCC's existing work with its regulatory counterparts, the FCC will
expand technical assistance in the development of pro-competitive regulatory models, and will
provide expert information and advice on regulatory issues. Participating countries will invest
their own resources; the FCC does not provide any financial support.
Kennard said while the Initiative would focus initially on African countries, it would in
the future help developing countries as well in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin
America/Caribbean. He said the first three countries to participate in the Initiative would be
Ghana, South Africa and Uganda. Kennard indicated that he would travel to South Africa
later this year to conclude a work plan agreement.
As part of the Initiative, the FCC has written and released a regulatory guide book for
regulators in developing countries. The book is called "Connecting the Globe: A Regulator's
Guide to Building a Global Information Community".
Kennard said: "This Initiative is designed to utilize the FCC's recognized expertise in
telecommunications regulation to assist developing countries move forward in building
independent regulatory agencies that will promote competition, liberalization and privatization
in their own local markets."
He said, "This new program will enable us, by setting up specific work plans with
individual targeted countries, to identify specific tasks and goals to enable developing countries
to move towards fair, open and transparent regulatory regimes. We will define specific areas
of technical and regulatory cooperation, specify procedures for exchanging information, and
determine experts, technicians and materials necessary to carry out the program."
- FCC -
FCC International Bureau Contact: Adonis Hoffman: 418-0429